Center support for venetian blind tilt rails



l v 1, 953 B. WALKER 2,635,687

CENTER SUPPORT FOR VENETIAN BLIND TILT RAILS Filed Jan. 10, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

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Patented Apr. 21, 1953 7::

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF IcE"f- CENTER SUPPORT FOR VENETIAN BLIND TI LT RAILS u ake Walker, Piedmont, Calif. ApplicationJanu-ary' m, 1949, Serial No. 70,112

5 Claims. 1

This invention pertains to improvements in a center support for Venetian blind tilt rails. Where we have used the. term center support, it isone generally applied toany support for the tilt rail in a Venetian blind intermediate the end supports. of the tilt rail. Many types of metal bracket supports have been used to support tilt rails but many of them require a very heavy cutting of the tilt rail in order that the center support will; not interfere with the required rotation of the tilt rail which is necessary in order to get tight closing, of the slats in both directions of rotation of the tilt rail.

This invention pertains to an improved method of constructing and attaching the center supports in which material such as tape is attached to the head member by passing through a slot in the head member and having a rigid or flexible element pass through a loop in the flexible tapewhich prevents the loop from passing downward through the slot to anchor suitably the tape to the head member.- The tilt rail is recessed to a point in line with the pivots in the end supports for the tilt rail. The tilt rail is slotted so that the tape can go through the tilt rail to be secured by another loop and filler for the loop that iswider than the slot. This provides a flexible support for the tilt rail which can be mounted in line with one of the intermediate ladder tapes which supports th slats in a conventional Venetian blind. This construction is particularly adapted to offset lift-cords which permit the slats to be removableas is disclosed in; my issued U. S. Patent No. 2,200,3 l9.

To faciliatate the removal of the tilt rail, tapes, slats and bottom rail from the head memher and tilt mechanism, it is sometimes necessary to make the center support detachable without having access to the top of the head member which maybe secured to the window frame. This is accomplished in this invention by making the tape detachable by a detachable pin connection. By removing the detachable pin from the loops in the center support tape, the center support can be detached from the head member or tilt rail for separation of the tilt. rail from the head member. 1

Other forms of the invention include methods by which the tilt rail is supported by flexible strap, either metal or tape or cord, passing around the tilt rail and anchored to the head member. It is realized that flexible tapes for supporting tilt rails have been used previously; however, it has beenv found that it is sometimes, necessary to attach an additional blocker spacer 2 to the tilt rail underneath the flexible support so as to change the contour of the tilt rail in order that the support'for the tilt rail will keep the center of the tilt rail in approximately the same position as is accomplished by the end pivots throughout the tilting operation, which is not necessarily accomplished if the ordinary contour of the tilt rail is used and the tape-around type of center support is used.

Another form of the invention involves a method whereby-the center support i a flexible element, is anchored at points spaced apart from the vertical center line of the head rail, and is extended through the head member to provide a support for the tilt rail which will keep the tilt rail supported in approximately the same position relative to the head member as is accomplished by the tilt rail end pivot supports.

Another object of the invention is a means whereby the tilt rail .is supported from a point near the upper surface of the head member rather than below said head member Another object of the invention is an improved and simpler method of supporting a Venetian blind tilt rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of attaching a tape to a Venetian blind rail or head member.

. Other objects of the invention will be more clearly pointed outinthe attached specifications and claims. p

I have illustrated my invention by way of ex-: ample'in the accompanying views in which: 1

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly cut away, illustrating one form of the invention. Figure. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the blind illustrated in Figure 1 taken at the center support. v

Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2 but shows the tilt rail in the tilted position.

, Figure 4 is a perspective view of an enlarged section of a portion of the head member and a portion of the tilt member, showing another form of center support with a detachable unit at the center.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a portion Venetian blind including head member, tilt member, and first slat, showing another form of the invention.

Figure 6 is an end view of a portion of a Venetian blind, partly in section and cut away, showing another form of the invention.

In all views, similar numerals. indicate cor-; responding parts in the various views.

.F gul'es 1. 2. a d 3,. I. have s o na.Y. .e-..

ofa

tian blind in which a head member ID supports brackets I2 and l2a which support the tilt rail ll. Bracket I2 is a tilt mechanism operated by tilt cords [3 of any conventional design and is suitably attached through a flexible rotation transmitting plate llc to the tilt rail II, to provide the necessary rotational control to the tilt rail H. At the other end, pivot pin llb forms the pivotal'support to bracket Ha.

Tilt rail I! supports the ladder tapes '6 which in turn support the slats 5 in spaced relationship, and the bottom ends of the ladder tapes are attached to bottom rail 9, all in the conventional manner. Other types of ladder tapes may be employed of metal, hinge type, wire type, etc., if desired. Lift cords are preferably usedin the offset position as shown with one toward the room face of one ladder tape and the other toward the window face of the ladder tape at the other end of the blind, in a manner similar to that illustrated in my issued'U. S :Patent ,.No. 2,209,349.

The center support tape aconsists of alooperl piece ofWebbing-preferablyof a size andappearance similar to the side-members of the ladder tapes 6. 'The upper-endof this webbing is looped and passes through a saw slotror pierced :slot in-thehead member i0. ,Atthe upper end of the loop, a piece of Venetian :blind cord, spin, rod, wire-clip, or other-suitable 'membler passes through the loop and thus prevents the .loop from being pulled down throughzthe saw slot in heademember HI. Thisiprovides asuitable "support for the upperaendzof the-flexible tape which forms the center "support. The lower end of 13116 10013 passes *through ,a cut-away section zl la in tilt rail -H, preferably beingtcut away to a depth equal to the distance ofa-pin's Ma and lib-below the upper surface of tilt rail iii. A saw slot pierces-the :tiltrailto provide an'openiing at the bottom of the tilt railat least equal'to' the width of the center support tape .20.

:AtttheZloop at the :bottom of zthettape '20, :another-piece of lift cordi22,ior othersuitable fastener, is inserted through the loop in said tape 20. Any suitable material may be placed through the loop to form a detachableconnection between the webbing and the tilt rail to support itzsuitably at the point of .thecenter support 20. Arecess'maybexproyided at :the bottom .ofthe tilt rail to receive the cord or filler 22, so that'it is not below the lower surface of tilt irail ll, if the projection ofathis attachment belowlthe lower surface ofkthe :tiitrail forms :anyyisual operation objection.

Where it is ineccessary to provide a "further detachable feature, or a detachable 'teature 'of another type, loops in the supporting tape,'ias illustrated in Figure 4, may he ccnnected'by a pin such as 21 which-connects the loops 2'0a in the iiexible supportingtape '20 which forms the center'support. With ad'etachable pin 21 support through the loops of the tape' -20,itape '2 0 may form a-loop passing around' fillersfl and 22, as shown, or it may form a single thickness support as where the webbing goes through the saw slot and is tacked to the head member and to the tilt rail, respectively, or each end of the single thickness tape could have a loop formed to receive the reta'iners" 2'l and 22. By these constructions, the 'center' support can be readily detached for dismantling the tilt "rail, slats, and bottom rail from the-head member, as when it is necessary to do so in mounting the "blind, or for window *wa'shing, or for other purposes.

In Figure 5, I show another form of the invention in which the head member l0 supports the tilt rail II at its center or intermediate points by means of a flexible element 50 which may be metal, tape, piece of webbing, or a piece of cord suitably secured to the head member as by a loop through a slot. The upper end of loop 5M is prevented from returning through the slot by inserting a cord or filler 21. Flexible element 5i) 'then'passes around the tilt rail H to provide a suitable support.

Where the contour of the tilt rail II is such that the flexible support 50 will not maintain the center X of the tilt rail in the same position relative to the head member as is provided throughthe end pivoting supports for the tilt rail,-it may be necessary to provide an added attachment |2a which may be suitably secured to the tilt rail by pins Ha or other suitable means to increase the cross-sectional area of tilt rail and attachment, so that in :the tilted position the bottom of the ltiltu'ca'il is-maintained :in the .desired position "relative to the head member 10. In the tilted :position, since the slats :come up against the lower face of tilt rail ll .as=shown in "Figure -5, the attachment 12a :does 'not interfere with the closingiof the slats :next to the tilt rail,butdoes improve the action oi the center supportin passing around the tiltrail while not requiring the increased cross section of the tilt rail throughout its length with increased cost of added unnecessary material. Attachment .I2 is preferably only about as long :as the width of the flexible element 50.

In Figure 6, 'I'have shown anotherform'of the invention in which aheadmember It supports tilt rail H *by means of flexible elements 40 which are secured to'the'head member and pass around the tilt rail but are spaced apart where they go through thehead'memberat a suitable distance, so astomainta'in point Xpf'the tilt rail inthe same-relative position, as is accomplished by the pivots at the end of the tilt rail, whether the tilt rail'is 'in -the horizontal position, as "shown, or in the tilted position as shown by dotted line. Flexible element 50 maybe a cord with knots above "the head "member as shown, or it may be a flexible tape passing through slats and the 'headmember and tacked to the head member adjacent the upper edges of the saw slots Illa and "lb, 'or'adetachable pin may be used in one side through loops in a "tape similar to the construction shown in Figure 4, but with the loop being attached'to the head rail as shown in Figure 6 'through two slots that are spaced apart, rather -thanthrough one central slot.

' The lift cord 15 is shown passing-down past the outside of the tilt rail and past'the tape going through an opening in the ladder-tape near the first slat.

'Liftcords 15 could, of course, go down through route holes in the tilt rail at the center thereof with'a center support constructed as-s'hownin Figure 6. The lift cords would then go'throu'gh route holes in the slats in a conventional manner. The lift cord could go through a-notch-in the tilt rail II with a center support constructed as shown in Figure'S; the lift-cord would 'then go inside theside memberof the ladder tape.

I do not wish in any way to lim'itmyse'lf to the exact details or mocleof operation set forth in the specification and drawings, foritwill "be obvious that wide departure may be made the way of details without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention which is set forth in the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a Venetian blind a head member, a tilt rail disposed beneath said head member and pivotally connected thereto adjacent its ends on horizontal axes, a vertical slot extending through said head rail intermediate said pivotal connections and its side edges and disposed in parallelism with said axes, a flexible tape member supportedly engaged with said tilt rail intermediate its ends, and said tape member including a twoply portion of a combined width equal to substantially the width of said slot, said two-ply portion extending through said slot and terminating in a loop above the upper edge of the slot, and an elongated member removably disposed within said loop, said member distending said loop to a width greater than that of the slot for retaining the tape in tilt rail supported position.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said tilt rail is provided with a slot in vertical alignmentwith said slot in the head member in the normal horizontal position of the tilt rail, said tape member further including a two-ply portion extending through said last slot and terminatin in a loop, and a member removably disposed in said loop and distending same to a width greater than that of said last slot.

3. The structure according to claim 2 together with a depression in the normally upper face of said tilt rail communicating with said last slot, said depression being defined by a convex wall on each side of the slot for rolling engagement with said tape member upon rotation of the tilt rail.

4. The structure according to claim 2, wherein said two-ply portions are removably connected intermediate the head member and the tilt rail.

5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said tape member further includes a relatively large loop portion beneath the head member and which transversely encircles said tilt rail and provides said supporting engagement.

BROOKS WALKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 691,603 Coveney Jan. 21, 1902 1,630,114 Duncanson May 24, 1927 2,086,461 Bogan July 6, 1937 2,216,678 Stuber Oct. 1, 1940 2,220,064 Clark, Jr. Nov. 5, 1940 2,248,775 Nottingham July 8, 1941 2,325,003 Beckwith July 20, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 16,079 Great Britain 1 1890 

